Funeral plans set for Gandolfini

Funeral services for Sopranos star James Gandolfini has been set for Thursday at a church in New York City. The body of Gandolfini, who died last week of a heart attack, was flown out of Italy earlier today, according to airport authorities in Rome.

Claudio Modini, director of emergency room at the Polyclinic Umberto I hospital, said: "James Gandolfini arrived at the emergency room of the emergency department of Polyclinic Umberto I University Hospital in a cardiac arrest accompanied by the ambulance of the 118 service."

"He was a code red [when he arrived]," Modini added, speaking in Italian.

"They were already trying to reanimate him. The efforts continued for 40 minutes, a series of attempts to make his heart start using electric activity.

James Gandolfini played Lieutenant General Miller in In The Loop, the 2009 black comedy film which followed the British political sitcom The Thick Of It.

Some of his most memorable moments feature language inappropriate for this website, but a cleaner contribution can be seen 39 seconds into the official trailer:

Simon Blackwell, one of the film's writers, wrote on Twitter: "Shocked and sad to hear of the passing of James Gandolfini. Great actor. Fond memories of working on In The Loop. Thoughts with his family."

James Gandolfini starred Tony Soprano in the HBO television series The Sopranos, which aired from 1999 to 2007. He won three Emmy awards and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the conflicted mob boss.